This pattern’s Context statement grabbed my attention because it felt very relatable as a senior with a strong understanding of Java who is looking at delving deeper into other languages like C++ and JavaScript. While I have a solid grasp on Java and general programming concepts, I have a lot to learn and really at a beginner level in other languages as I need to relearn basics like proper syntax as well as other concepts like memory management. To this point, one aspect of the White Belt pattern involves admitting ignorance – there’s much more than I don’t even know I don’t know yet. But, I also find this to be encouraging – I also don’t know how much I can possibly learn and gain professionally by taking this perspective in picking up skills.

Another concept that’s brought up and discussed with the White Belt pattern is the notion that particularly when learning and strengthening new skills, it is going to take more time to do tasks that would otherwise be simple to us in our first language – but that is okay and to be expected. This can be a point of frustration for me personally, so it was nice to see this acknowledged and helpful as I can address these tasks in a more patient headspace prepared for slower speed. Furthermore, the long-term benefit to struggling through this slow period usually pays off – the authors eloquently put it as “losing some productivity in the short term in order to take a leap forward once you master the new approach.”

Embracing humility, admitting ignorance, and actively seeking to understand challenges are key components of this pattern that I also try to live life by. So, the “White Belt” individual apprenticeship pattern was very insightful and impactful to read about and a great introductory pattern to more soon to come. It seems most applicable to situations where I/my team will be learning or enhancing skills, particularly when working with others and in environments with more experience to learn from. As a soon-to-be graduate, I look forward to keeping this pattern in mind as I enter the professional field.

Sources:
Hoover, Dave, and Adewale Oshineye. “Apprenticeship Patterns: Guidance for the Aspiring Software Craftsman.” O’Reilly Media, 2009.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Tech. Worth Talking About by jelbirt and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

In exploring the subsystems in the repository for Thea’s Pantry and specifically the Documentation section, I was most drawn to the Developer repository, containing documentation that will be most relevant to developers working on the project – such as myself and my teammates. All of these contain valuable information about various components of the system/subsystems like the overall architecture, guidelines for Conventional Commits, and more. Furthermore, I have been interested in picking up Documentation writing as a skill and get some experience with it, so this is an area where I may be able to do so and assist Dr. Wurst in filling out the Developer Documentation. I’m looking forward to getting hands-on experience and making progress in improving the Thea’s Pantry systems this semester!

LibreFoodPantry site: https://librefoodpantry.org.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Tech. Worth Talking About by jelbirt and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Tech. Worth Talking About by jelbirt and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

From the blog #CS@Worcester – Pawel’s CS Experience by Pawel Stypulkowski and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

From the blog cs-wsu – Computer Science by csrenz and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.